


two lost souls

by forgottenstonework



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, mention of abusive father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-01-22 20:59:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12490704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgottenstonework/pseuds/forgottenstonework
Summary: Bruce might have a crush.





	1. Chapter 1

The first time Bruce payed attention to _that_ particular stray thought was back when they were all still somewhat friends, when after a mission or a briefing they'd hang out at Tony's--their place. Maybe they'd spend the night, the week. Bruce had to admit, it was nice. He knew they all had other allegiances, that maybe their misfit group wasn't anyone's first choice, but it was good enough. 

That night, the night he was first aware of  _that_ thought, was one of the first team movie nights, something someone had suggested because, hello, bonding? He still wasn't sure of his place, nor was he comfortable enough to truly relax surrounded by four almost complete strangers. 

He liked them all, and he respected them all. They valued his limits and his boundaries, and that was all he could ask for. He wasn't going to deny that his life had been pretty devoid of human connections for a while now. Bruce knew he didn't fit in completely, and he wasn't anyone's favorite anything.  It wasn't self-deprecating to think that when it was the truth, was it? Maybe if he had never... if Loki hadn't been on that Helicarrier and the Other Guy hadn't come out then, of all times, maybe they wouldn't fear him like they did. They would never admit it, but he could tell. He had gotten good enough at reading people to know when they were nervous, even when they were good at hiding it. Even if they were pros. 

He wished they hadn't had to know what it was like to have the Hulk against them, he wishes they could understand that he was working on his control, that... it didn't matter. When they looked at him, they saw the scientist, and his calm exterior, but they also saw the monster inside. If they all sat a little farther away from him while watching  _Jaws_ , he couldn't blame them. 

It wasn't until Thor came bounding through the door, popcorn in one hand and Sour Patch Kids in another, and apologized for his lateness, that Bruce finally came out of his head and started paying attention to his surroundings. 

When Thor threw himself down in the room Tony had left between them with no regard of personal space, a large smile on his face as he greeted him, and later fell asleep with hand in the popcorn and his blond head on Bruce's shoulder, Bruce heard  _that_ thought loud and clear.  

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lololol it’s been a while sorry

See, the thing was, Bruce didn't get crushes easily, let alone persistent, long-lasting, 'butterflies fluttering frantically in your stomach at the mention of their name' ones. He admired his colleagues and their intellect, certainly, and could appreciate beauty in men and women. He was far from objective, but from a young age he learned how to detach himself from those thoughts. He was a scientist. He examined, observed, and always from a safe distance. He treated everything he came into contact with as if he had never taken off his lab gloves. The only time he allowed someone to come close, both body and mind, was Betty and that ended in nothing but tragedy. After the Hulk, any thought of attachments were boxed away. He couldn't afford another disaster. He couldn't afford to have his heart broken twice.

So when he finally accepted that yes, those intrusive thoughts weren't just a mild idolization for a god figure, and the warm feeling in his chest was not just from the tea he constantly drank, he was embarrassed and completely caught off guard. Of all the people to crush on, after all this time, his mind had single out the most unattainable guy he had ever met. Bruce didn't think of himself as ugly —no, his low esteem and self worth came from plenty of other things— but in the same league as Thor? A literal space alien god?

God no.

He supposed he was lucky, then, that Thor was rarely on earth at all. There was plenty to keep a prince busy, and little to keep him on Misgard for long. His crush on Thor annoyed him more than anything. He didn't have the time to daydream about his easy smile and how it would feel to be enveloped in those arms. How strong and sturdy and— no, he really didn't have time at all. There were far more important thoughts to attend to. Preferably, how to deal with the hulk, once and for all.

The day Thor stopped by the lab was unprecedented, and Bruce, with few other words to describe it, fucked up.

His personal life was very strictly off limits. No one knew the intricacies of his past, not even Tony, who poked and prodded and searched every file available. His father's life and death had been a quiet affair. No one asked and Bruce never told. He was the calm one, the level-headed one, the one others asked for advice. He could sense their unease around him, despite it. What kind of monsters was he hiding in that head of his, they wondered? What would happen if I asked? They feared the answers, and so he survived the first few years as the mild scientist, occupying his days with science and experiments and data.

He loved people. He'd hid in one of the busiest cities in the world when he was on the run, to help those who did not have access to hospitals or real doctors, and to be surrounded by the ceaseless noise of life. It was his comfort in those dark, dark days. It was his saving grace.

Tony had made his floor sound proof. Gentle soundtracks of waves and ambient noise played constantly. The walls were cool colors. It drove him mad. No one understood, but it wasn't like he ever took the time to explain it. He didn't require calmness, he didn't need seclusion. But how could he say, how could he show that, without baring an actual piece of his soul?

So when Thor caught him in the lab that day, surrounded by syringes filled with blood and test tubes and papers falling from every shelf, Bruce froze. Tony was out of town. Jarvis had blocked access to the room. He was not expecting visitors.

"Banner.... what are you doing?"

He coughed, shrugging. He could lie, he'd spent a childhood learning the skill. "I'm testing the levels of gamma radiation in my blood in correlation to my heart rate."

Thor's eyebrows knitted together. He stood in the doorway, considering the answer. "I thought that was what you were doing last month. Surely you've finished that experiment by now."

Had Thor been paying attention, truly? Bruce thought back to that day, a rare group event, where Thor chatted idly about the weather on Asgard and a great hunt the week before, and Bruce had mentioned in passing the work he'd been attending to in the lab. He found himself surprised, and oddly touched to know Thor had listened and retained that information.

"Oh, I just needed to double check some of my results."

Thor frowned, and Bruce felt his stomach drop. "Bruce, must I remind you I grew up with a silver-tongued brother who spoke more lies than truth. I'll ask you again, what are you doing? You need not answer, but that would leave me to my own assumptions."

Bruce stared intently at the glassware infront of him. It gave him no answer or guidance. He sighed, "I'm trying to find a cure."

"A cure? For what? Are you sick?"

"What do you think, Thor? I'm trying to find a cure for the hulk."

"Surely you're joking. The hulk is apart of who you are. A great warrior, a fierce soul entwined with your own."

Bruce's hand tightened around the table's edge. "The hulk is a monster. The hulk has killed over a hundred civilians. The longer I have this inside me, this tainted blood, I am a liability. Do you know what the army would do if they got their hands on me? If they got just once complete sample of my genetics? If Thaddeus Ross got his way? They'd turn me into a weapon, or find someone else to do the job."

"But Bruce, you cannot simply erase such a big part of you. It is who you are."

"Who I am? You know nothing about me, Thor. You know nothing. We aren't friends. Get that through your head. You know nothing about me." It wasn't until Thor stepped towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder, that he noticed the tips of his fingers were tinged green.

He pushed himself away from Thor, stumbling against table. A vial fell to the floor. A Thor walked away slowly, he called out softly “I’m sorry.” 

Thor paused the doorway. “You are right, Bruce. I don’t know you. But I would like to. With your consent I would like nothing more than to curate a friendship with you.” And with that, he left. 

**Author's Note:**

> yah sorry this is so short. there will be more i promise. i am just fucking awful at like writing more than small pieces at a time.


End file.
